Wrench



A. P. WILTSE.

WRENCH. v

Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY. I

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASHBY P. IVILTSE, OF SMITIIBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,027, dated April 6, 1897.

A licati n fil d June 29, 1896. Serial No. 597,295. (No model.)

To all whom it 777/662] concern.-

Be it known that I, ASHBY P. ILTSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Smithburg, in the county of Pike and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in renches and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wrenches.

My object is to provide a wrench of novel and simple construction which may be quickly and easily adjusted and will be very powerful.

Having this object in view my invention consists of an improved wrench comprising certain novel features and combinations appearing more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section.

A designates a guide-bar, and B a handle, which, together with a solid jaw O, are constructed from a single piece of suitable metal. The sides of this handle are preferably flattened somewhat and ornamental wooden strips connected thereto in any suitable manner, as usual in the construction of wrenches. At the upper end of the handle are two abutments 1 and 2, which are located on opposite sides of the guide bar. One face of the guidebar is provided with a rack 3, formed of a series of teeth which are preferably rounded for the sake of strength.

D designates my improved sliding jaw, which is loose on the guide-bar. This jaw is constructed in a single piece, and the inner face of its solid front 8 is provided with a rack O, which is adapted for engagement with the rack on the guide-bar, the teeth also being rounded. The rear portion of the sliding jaw is provided with a heavy'solid portion 10, while 11 designates a strong clamping-screw which passes through portion 12.

E designates a novel form of locking-wedge which lies between portion 10 and the guidebar. This wedge has a flat surface 13, which lies against the guide-bar, and is also provided with a downwardly-inclined outer surface 14, which is adapted for engagement with the inner face of solid portion 10. The upper end of the wedge is provided with an outwardly-extending abutment-head 15, adapted to prevent the wedge from being pulled out of the sliding jaw, and thelower end is formed into an outwardly-curved finger-grasp 16, being cut away on its inner face to form an abutment-shoulder 17.

It will he observed that owing to the construction and relation of the sliding jaw and locking-wedge the latter is adapted for adjustment independently of the jaw when it is desirable to lock or wedge said jaw to the adj ustment-bar.

The wrench is used in the following manner: The sliding jaw is first adjusted on the guide-bar to the desired point. The lockingwedge is then pressed upward in between the jaw and the guide-banso that the rack on the jaw is brought into engagement with the rack on the guide-bar, thereby firmly locking the jaw in position. If the wrench is being used for very heavy work,the clamping-screw may be clamped down on the wedge to insure a more perfect locking action of the parts. The jaw is loosened by catching the finger-grasp and pulling the wedge out of the former.

Slight and immaterial modifications of construction might be resorted to by a skilled mechanic, and it is to be understood, therefore, that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein shown and described, but consider that I am entitled to all variations that come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a wrench, the combination with a guide-bar provided with a fixed jaw, of a slidingjaw on the guide-bar, a locking-wedge movable between the sliding jaw and the guide-bar and adapted for adjustment independently of the sliding jaw and a clampingscrew passing through the sliding jaw and adapted to bind directly on the wedge after the latter has been adjusted.

2. In a wrench, the combination with a guide-bar having a rack and a fixed jaw, of a sliding jaw provided with a rack and located on the guide-bar, a locking-wedge between the sliding jaw and guide-bar, said Wedge bespecification in the presence of two subscribing provided with an abutment-head and an ing Witnesses. outwardly-curved finger-grasp and a clampp T ing-serewpassing through the sliding jaw and ILTSE' 5 adapted to bind on the locking-Wedge after YVitnesses:

the latter has been adjusted. ROBT. ANDREWS, In testimony whereof I have signed this V. B. BENJAMIN. 

